I call this meeting to order. Welcome to meeting number 59 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.
Today we will consider Bill C-252 during the first hour, before proceeding to drafting instructions for the report on children’s health in camera for the second half of the meeting.
Today’s meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the House order of June 23, 2022.
In accordance with our routine motion, I'm informing the committee that all remote participants have completed the required connection tests in advance of the meeting. Today it was remarkably easy to do, because there are no remote participants.
I will now welcome Ms. Patricia Lattanzio, the member of Parliament from Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel and sponsor of Bill C-252, an act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (prohibition of food and beverage marketing directed at children).
We are also joined by two officials from Health Canada in case there are questions for the department about the legislation. They are David Lee, chief regulatory officer, health products and food branch, and Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser and senior medical adviser, health products and food branch. They are in the room but not at the table. They are certainly available to you if you have questions for them, either after Ms. Lattanzio's presentation or as we go through clause-by-clause.
The plan, colleagues, is to have one round of questions from each party so that we can get through the clause-by-clause and on to committee business.
With that, Ms. Lattanzio, thank you so much for being here. You have up to five minutes for your opening statement.
Welcome to the committee.
You have the floor.